Innocence
by Garfield413
Summary: Lucy and Natzu. Natzu is as dense as a brick when it comes to romance, but will that stop them from becoming more than friends? NaLu.
1. Chapter 1

"Look, Natsu, you idiot! That is NOT how you talk to a lady!" Gray growled out, exasperated.

His pink haired friend held his face, nurturing a growing, palm-shaped bruise on his cheek. "What the hell? All I did was ask her how many guys she'd slept with. Why is she so angry? Our job was to find out who the father of her baby is, so that's a legit question!"

Gray sighed, facepalming. "You dunce. We already know who the father is, we were supposed to find him. And now, thanks to you, we're out of a job."

"Wait, we knew who he was?"

"Yes, because she _showed us a picture_ of him, right before you asked your asinine question." Gray sighed in disbelief.

"How was I supposed to know who he was?! She didn't say anything..."

"We met him last week, dumbass! I am not looking forward to facing Erza and Lucy later. " Gray groaned, not believing just how dense Natsu was. "We were supposed to help raise money for the Guild's repairs. We lost 20,000 jewel!"

"Aw man, why do we have to do this bull? It's not as if there aren't twenty other people who could've done this job. I wanted to beat the crap out of some bad guys!" Natsu whined, bored out of his mind. He stretched his arms behind his back.

"First, flamebrain, it's your own fault that you literally blew the roof off the Guild. I mean, we were playing bingo! How the hell did you manage to do that?!"

"What are you trying to say, droopy eyes?!" Natsu growled.

"What do you think, slanty eyes?! This is the fifth time this month that something like this happened!" Gray yelled, getting real tired of it real fast.

"Oh yeah? Name one other time." Natsu dared.

"Let's see, there's the time you burned down the kitchen while boiling water. _Boiling. Water._ What, did your brain get fried by your own fire or something? Come on, man! Have some respect for yourself!"

"That doesn't count. It could've happened to anyone!"

"How about the time you burned down the east wall by sneezing molten lava?"

"Man, you know I have allergies..." Natsu mumbled, trailing off.

"You know what? Forget this. Let's just hope that Erza doesn't kill us when we get back.

"I second that opinion. Come on, Gray. Let's go home."

* * *

"You WHAT?!" Lucy yelled. "Are you guys insane?! Erza will kill you, Natsu! You lost it after working two weeks?!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. For failing to find the guy who knocked that girl up." Natsu yawned. He was getting kinda hungry. He hoped that this would all be over soon.

"What? Natsu, Gray, you're BOTH morons!" Lucy groaned, facepalming.

"Hey, why are you dragging _me_ into this?" Gray asked.

"_Because_, that wasn't even the job we gave you! By "Find the Father of this baby", you were supposed to track down a foster father for a kid at the Magnolia Orphanage! You got the wrong baby! The baby you met was 2, and you were supposed to contact a 7 year old! And to make is worse, we gave you that job two months ago!" Lucy was on the verge of punching both of them in the face. Considering she wasn't nearly strong enough to do any damage, she decided not to waste her time.

"What the hell, Natsu!" Gray asked. "You told me that you got the job two weeks ago!"

"Eh, two weeks, five weeks, you know I have no sense of time. Happy usually does that kinda stuff for me."

Lucy just shrugged, continuing, "Anyway, where is Happy?"

Natsu answered, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys. He and Carla went to meet their parents in that forest the Exceed settled in. He's probably not gonna be back for a while. But don't worry, Luce, I'm here."

Lucy was taken back, asking, "What, are they getting married or something? Meeting the family?"

Gray sneered. "Nah, neither Natsu or Happy know about any of that stuff. They don't even know how babies are made. Did you know Natsu has never gotten his first kiss? He probably doesn't know which hole to sho-"

Lucy blushed. Natsu grimaced, saying, "Damn you, ice head! At least I don't constantly strip in public."

"Hey! I told you, half the time I don't even know how that happens!" Gray argued defensively.

Lucy sighed. "Gray, where's your shirt?"

"GAH! I swear, I was just wearing it." Gray jumped up, a surprised look on his face. "Holy shit, quick, everyone! Erza's walking this way. Someone, find my shirt!"

"What's going on here?" Erza asked. "Gray, why are you half naked?" Erza deadpanned.

Lucy gave a frustrated sigh, smirked, and said, "Natsu and Gray failed their mission."

Erza put her hand to her face, as if she had seen this coming. "Well, at least Lucy and I took extra jobs to cover the damage. If you haven't noticed, we now have a new roof. And wall. And kitchen."

"Wait, you knew we would fail from the start? Talk about insulting." Natsu said.

"Is that a problem?"

"Uh, no. Nevermind." Natsu squealed.

"Good." Erza finished.


	2. Chapter 2

"Natsu, push in already!" Lucy groaned.

"But Luce, I don't want to move right now." Natsu whined. "I have motion sickness..."

"Get over it, pansy. You're pulling in whether you like it or not."

"Who the hell are you calling a pansy?!" Natsu yelled, then covered his mouth, falling over, trying not to vomit.

"If you don't pull in now, I will fucking punch you in the face, Natsu." Lucy grimaced, getting impatient.

"Fine, fine. When you told me you'd teach me how to drive, you didn't say you were gonna be this mean..."

"If you can't handle going into a parking space, why the hell did you ask me to teach you?" Lucy groaned in exasperation.

"Why didn't you drive us to the bar then, Luce... "

"Because it was your stupid idea to drive on your own! You practically begged me to let you bring me here! Dear god, Natsu... How did you drive us here without getting us killed?"

Natsu retched once again, trying not to vomit all over Erza's car. They had borrowed it, since it was cheaper than getting a rental. It was as scarlet as Erza's hair, for reasons unknown the her friends. She only consented to their use of the car because she was on a date with her boyfriend Jellal, who, just last year had been vindicated, innocent of all charges, on account of him being possessed while he commited the crimes he had commited.

Once he parked the car and it had stopped moving, his fit of motion sickness disappeared. He got out of the car, and opened Lucy's door for her, taking her hand and escorting her into the building.

Natsu was dressed in his usual attire, while Lucy wore a hot red dress that barely reached her knees. She wore knee-high black boots, the ones she normally wore every day.

The two sat at a booth in the very back of the premises. "Hey, waiter! Get me and my friend some beer, on the double!" Natsu grinned goofily at Lucy. "If they ask, I'm not 19 and you're not 18."

Lucy stuck her tongue out, smiling. They didn't always go out like this; Natsu usually just hung out around her house. More specifically, he walked in on her changing, walked in on her bathing, and was walking in on him changing (into her clothes). They were practically a couple, and this was commented on often at the guild.

"Hey Luce," Natsu began.

"Yeah, Natsu? What's wrong?'

"Nothing, it's just that... you know how people keep asking us if we're a couple?"

"Yeah..." Lucy rubbed the back of her neck, blushing.

"What do you think about it?" Natsu asked, leaning in closer.

"What do I... think? About it?" Lucy blushed like crazy. She had never, ever expected the romantically dense Natsu to ask a question like that.

"Well yeah, we're partners and all that. Why do they have to ask?" Natsu asked, confused.

"Natsu... that's not what being a couple means. They don't mean that we're partners, they already know that." Lucy mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck again. _Man, I never knew Natsu was this uninformed about that specific topic. _Lucy thought.

"Then what do they mean?" Natsu tilted his head like a puppy dog. You could almost hear him wimpering like one.

"Well, they're asking if we're... together. Romantically."

"Are we?" Lucy's face turned beet red.

"Well hello there! Here are two drinks for the lovely couple." The bartender spoke up, handing them their beers.

"Ah, finally." Natsu exclaimed. "Now, can you light mine on fire?"

* * *

"I can't believe you got us banned for life, Natsu."

"Why'd they kick us out? All I did was ask him if he'd light my drink on fire..." Natsu grumbled.

"Exactly, Natsu. He thought you were some sort of deranged arsonist."

"Aren't I?" That made Lucy giggle. As they were walking, she gently elbowed her partner.

"Come on, how would you expect him to know that you eat fire?"

"Man, all this talk about fire is getting me hungry." Natsu whined, stretching his arms over his head.

"To be honest, I think it's kinda... _hot_ that you eat fire, (pun intended)." Lucy leaned into Natsu as they walked back to Fairy Tail.

"Luce..."

"Yeah, Natsu?"

"You know how April Fool's day is coming soon..." Lucy blinked.

"Yes, why?" Lucy tilted her head, not following.

"And you know how people think of us as a... couple..." Natsu winked, making Lucy blush. He whispered in Lucy's ear, bending really closely.

"Uh-huh..." Lucy said, not knowing what to say. She started trembling from anxiety, not knowing what to make of what was happening.

"So I was wondering if, as a prank, you would consider..."

"...being your girlfriend." Lucy finished his sentence for him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Natsu, stop jamming it in! Push it in gently!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Lady, I'm gonna do this MY way, or we ain't playing!" Natsu yelped, trying to slam a red disk into the opening. He missed, repeatedly. He was like a toddler trying to jam a cube into a circular hole; or Justin Bieber trying to be manly.

"Come on, Natsu! I _just_ bought this board game, I don't wanna break it." Lucy groaned.

_crack. _Too late, the board broke in half.

"CONNECT FOUR!" Natsu yelled into the sky. He picked up the board game and threw it across the room like a frisbee. It hit a very nude Gray in the face.

"Natsu, that's not how you play Connect Four..." Lucy sighed.

"What? That's TOTALLY how you play! Four of the pieces connected... with Gray's eyes."

"Watch it, flame brain!" Gray yelled from across the room.

"As soon as you put some pants on, block head! I'm playing a game with my girlfriend over here." Natsu rolled his eyes, putting his arm across Lucy, while Lucy screamed at the sight of the buck-naked man.

"GYAHH! Where the hell did my clothes go?! And wait... Lucy's your girlfriend?! Did you drug her or something?"

"I'm your girlfriend?" Lucy asked. She did not expect that.

"What? Remember our talk yesterday? You even finished my sentence!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Oh please, Natsu. I never actually gave consent for that, I just finished your sentence for you." Lucy giggled, raising her hand to her mouth. "But just this once, I'm gonna run with it."

"Great." Natsu gave his goofiest smile, and called out, "Hey Gray! Oi, check out my new girlfriend!"

Gray did a spit take, and the booze he was drinking waterfalled out of his gaping mouth. "Girlfriend? Man, up until yesterday you didn't even understand the _term_ girlfriend! The last time I asked, we ended up having a heated conversation about how alpacas are basically sheep with plastic surgery and an iron lung."

"Well I'll have you know Gray, me and Lucy slept together just last night." Natsu grinned.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked. "Gray, it's not what it looks like. He slept in my bed, that's it. I didn't even know he was there until I woke up!"

"Wait, you guys _didn't_ have sex?" Gray asked.

"Sex? What the hell are you talking about? I never said anything about that... and I sleep with Lucy all the time!" Natsu inquired curiously.

"Dumbass! That's what sleeping together means! I swear to God, even if you guys _did_ do it, you wouldn't even know which hole to use!" Gray yelled.

"KYAAAA! GRAY! Stop yelling, do you WANT the entire guild to hear us?!" Lucy screamed.

"Wait, there's more than one hole?" Natsu asked, tilting his head like a cute, innocent puppy dog.

"Just. Shut. Up. Both of you!" Lucy squealed. "Okay, yes, we're dating. Gray, put your pants on or I'm going to castrate you. Natsu, what the hell? Did you even attend 7th grade science?"

Suddenly, Erza walks in. "So, I have heard that someone around here is in a new relationship. Who are they?"

"Natsu and Lucy." Gray answers, rubbing his temples. "Man, I really need more booze for this. Has anyone seen my pants?"

"Ah, congratulations! Truth be told, I thought you were already dating and were keeping it on the down-low." Erza smiled, hugging the both of them from behind. "Everyone! Natsu and Lucy are finally official!"

"KYAAAHH! Erza, don't announce it to everyone!" Lucy squealed indignantly. Things were already spiraling out of control. They were supposed to prank a few people, not the entire guild. An uproar was caused, and Lucy could only understand a few statements here and there. For example; "_wait, they weren't already dating?", "Where the hell are my pants?!"(Gray), "Lucy, where did my car go? Did you leave it parked outside of that bar?"(Erza), "Aw, their first relationship!", "Gray-sama! Only Juvia can see your manhood! He's mine, mine, mine!" _and, _"Put some clothes on, you sick bastard"._

Natsu put his arm around Lucy's shoulder. "So Luce, since we're officially together... would it be okay if I did... This?" Natsu quickly held Lucy's face in his hands, carrassing her hair with his left hand, and kissed her. Right smack dab on the lips.

"Natsu..." Lucy gasped, pulling away. Her face turned beet red, redder than Erza's hair. Natsu grinned demonically at her, while she fumbled for a response. _Well then, he's pretty straightforward. That's kinda romantic in it's own way, I guess... KYAH! No Lucy, no! It's just. A. Prank. It doesn't mean anything, does it? Oh my God, I'm in on the prank but I'm freaking out! Well, he is surprisingly good at kissi-Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Lucy, he's your friend. Not your boy toy. Gah, maybe this wasn't as good of an idea I thought it would be..._

"Uh, Lucy?" Natsu asked, blinking. "Are you there?" He started waving his hand in front of her face, since she just sat there with a panicked expression on her face.

"Look what you did, Natsu! You're so bad at kissing you put her into a coma," Gray snorted.

"Who the hell are you calling a bad kisser, droopy eyes?!"

"You, dumbass! Her eyes are glazing over and she's not talking! She's even covering her mouth!"

"I'll show you who's a bad kisser! Here, kiss me and tell me that I'm bad at kissing."

"What the fuck, Natsu?! I'm not going to kiss you!" Gray yelled.

"Why, Gray? Are you afraid you're gonna like it?!"

"Like it?! Of course I won't like it, I'm not gay! Kiss Gajeel instead, you're both dragon slayers. You have something in common!" Gray retorted, a WTF look on his face.

"Gajeel! Get over here and kiss me!" Natsu pointed at him, then his mouth.

"Piss off, dunderhead." Gajeel growled. "If you ever kiss me, I'll kill you. Even if I was gay, I have Levy. Remember that, volcano head." And with that, Gajeel took Levy's arm and escorted her out of the guild hall.

"See, Natsu? Even he's too disgusted by you to go near you! How the hell did you ever manage to reel in Lucy?!"

"What was that, Frozone?!"

"Frozone? Does my sweet, sweet rock-hard ass look black to you? I'm way better than that freak!"

"So you're racist, then? Man, I always knew there was something wrong with you."

"Shut up!"

Suddenly, Lucy snapped out of her apparent coma, smiling. _Well, as long as we're doing this, I might as well go all out, _she thought, grabbing Natsu's face and smashing her lips on his. Natsu's eyes widened, then he started returning the kiss, deepening it. Lucy's hand ran through Natsu's ruffled, rosy hair, while he groped her back, avoiding any _important_ parts that would lead to him being smacked in the face.

"Lucy, get a room! Especially if you're going to play tonsil tennis with this nitwit." Gray said.

Suddenly, Erza interjected, "At ease, Gray. They're a new couple, it's normal for this kind of thing to happen."

"Gray-sama! Why don't you do these things to Juvia? Juvia wants the passion of her lover!" Juvia yelled at Gray, prompting him to go "GAH" and pull the world's most epic WTF face.

"What the hell, Juvia?!" Gray screamed, eyes wide open. If he wasn't awake before, he definitely was now. Meanwhile, instead of trying to lecture her friends, Erza instead just laughed, patting Natsu and Lucy on the back as they made out.

However, she started to reconsider as soon as they both started moaning. No one noticed, but quickly, the lines between acting and reality were already beginning to blur for Natsu and Lucy.

The nice thing about making out with innocent Natsu to Lucy was the fact that he didn't try doing anything extreme without checking with her first. It made her a bit impatient, but she decided that it was better than being forced to do anything she didn't want to do, especially in front of her friends. _In front of my friends..._

"KYAAAA!" Lucy screamed, realizing what she was just thinking about. She pushed Natsu away, thinking "_oh shit oh shit oh shit_." "Hey Natsu yeah uh good tah see yah buddy he heh heh" Lucy stuttered out, getting up and running through the front door, heading towards her house.

_What's happening?! What am I thinking? Natsu's my friend. Nothing else. We were just trying to sell the romance. That's it! It has GOT to be it! I don't have any secret feelings for Natsu now, do I?!_

She left Natsu sitting there, wondering what he did wrong.

"See, man? Either I'm Queen Latifah, or you are so, very bad at kissing." Gray snorted, while literally everyone girl in the guild giggled with anticipation. Meanwhile, all the guys were dumbstruck. _Natsu? Relationship? KISSING?_ That was the last thing they had expected to happen to Natsu.

"Man, you don't deserve to be Queen Latifah. If you're Queen Latifah, that makes me Beyonce." Natsu grumbled, looking out the open door forlornly.

_Damn. I thought that was kinda nice. What did she run away for? _Natsu thought. Disheartened, he got up and started walking to the door.

"Hey Natsu, are you following your girlfriend? Don't worry, it could happen to anyone." Mirajane encouraged, smiling.

"Nah, I think I'm going home... Happy's gonna be back soon, I think. Bye guys..." Natsu sighed, saddened by the recent turn of events. He had never had a relationship before, even if this one was a fake one, and he didn't know why it hurt so much. It meant nothing, right? It's just a prank, right? Then why does it hurt so badly?

_What did I do wrong?_


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay Lucy, calm down... there's nothing to worry about. You only just made out with your best friend, that's all... Oh, who am I kidding. What am I gonna do?!" Lucy said to herself, trying to calm down. "I mean yeah, he was pretty good but-_oh God stop thinking like that, Lucy!"_

Suddenly, there was a gigantic _thud_ at the window, and Lucy got up to check it out. "Huh, wonder what it is. That window is on the second floor."

She got there just in time for another rock to break her window and hit her in the face.

"Hey Luce, are you okay?" Natsu yelled. "Why did you run off? We totally pulled off out prank perfectly, I thought it was going pretty well." Natsu pouted.

_Yeah, it was going well. Too well..._ Lucy thought.

"Lucyyyy! Your boyfriend is waiting for you! We brought you a fish!" Happy called out.

"Go away, Natsu! Happy, he's not my real boyfriend. Natsu, why did you tell Happy about the prank?!"

"Prank? Natsu, what's she talking about?" Happy asked, dumbfounded.

"Uh yeah, about that, Luce... I didn't tell him it was a prank."

"What." Lucy facepalmed, regretting everything that happened in the past few minutes.

"Don't blame me! He flew all the way over here before I could stop and explain."

"Kawaii, their first argument as a couple," Happy said, grinning and giggling while trying to cover his mouth.

"Shut up, Happy! Natsu, both of you go away!"

Suddenly, Natsu jumped up onto the window sill, inches away from Lucy's face.

"But why?" Natsu asked, once again.

"Because... because... becau-" Natsu interrupted Lucy, by grabbing her face and kissing her.

"Now, wasn't that easy?" Natsu said, grinning evilly.

"KYAAAA! Natsu, no one's watching us! You don't have to do that!" Lucy freaked out. "There's no one here to prank!"

"Huh? Oh, I just learned that it's a pretty good way to shut you up." Natsu smiled, his pointy canines sticking out. "But seriously, Luce. Why've you been acting so weird lately? Is it the prank?"

"Natsu, it's just that I... don't feel comfortable doing this with you."

"You don't feel comfortable doing what? We haven't done anything wrong..." Natsu tilted his head, like a confused puppy.

"Yes we have, Natsu. _We're just friends_. Friends don't make out. Couples make out. We don't. _Oh my God!" _Lucy screeched.

"What?"

"Natsu... Oh my God, my first kiss was _Natsu." *flashback to the beginning of season two, with Natsu dancing ridiculously on the table inside the guild*_. "THAT Natsu. _The_ Natsu."

"So what? I haven't kissed anyone up until now either. What's the big deal, Luce? So we kissed. So I enjoyed it. So what?"

_Then how is he so good at it?!_ Lucy thought. _Wow, he really is talente- Nope. That's not the problem, Lucy... Focus!_

_"_It's because we're only friends. And wait, you enjoyed it too?!"

"Well yeah, Luce. I like you, you're my second best friend besides Happy. You didn't actually think that after all we've been through, all the things we've done together, that I wouldn't actually develop feelings for you?" Natsu said, confused.

"Natsu, you're a nice guy, but we can't. We're _friends_. Not. A. Couple. I love you as a friend, not a boyfriend."

"But Luce-"

"No buts. We aren't together-"

"Well, why not? You said you liked it too, didn't you? Don't you feel anything? I've never felt this way before, with anyone, Luce. Why can't we be more than friends? Even just a little bit?" Natsu said, his voice filled with emotion.

"Natsu..." Lucy sighed. She never knew that this side of Natsu even existed. She never really pictured him to be the romantic type.

"No. Lucy, I don't know what this is, but it feels great. Can't you feel it too? Come on, Luce... Don't do this to me, man. Don't do this to _us_." Natsu was getting serious now, grief written in his eyes.

"Yeah, Lucy," Happy chipped in. "He's never been this serious and emotional before... Lucy, please just give him a chance..." Happy pouted, a sad look plastered onto his little blue face.

"Natsu, I don't know what to say..."

"Then don't say anything. Just give me one chance to change your mind. One chance to convince you. I'll do anything to make you feel the same way."

"Natsu, I-"

Ever since the first time we met, ever since you joined the guild, I've had feelings for you-"

"Natsu, when I first got my guild mark, you forgot my name and called me Luigi." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't matter. It wasn't that intense back then."

"Natsu, you've been calling me Luigi at least once a week ever since then." Lucy sighed, resting her head in her hands.

"Can you let me finish?" Natsu inquired, shaking off the fact that she actually had a point.

"Oh, uh, sorry..."

"I've never felt this passionate before. Not even when I battled the Twin Dragons of Sabretooth, or Laxus, or even Erza. Sure, we were just best friends before, but ever since we kissed... it just felt so _right_. You can't just ignore that. You felt it too, didn't you? Even Lisanna doesn't compare to you Luce...

"And the time we encountered the Rogue from the future, and I saw him kill you? The future you? That was the angriest I've ever been in my entire life. I can't lose you, Luce. Not in any way or form. Can't you see that?"

Lucy was trembling, tears in her eyes. "Natsu..."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My first time in writing romance :D Whaddayathink? Please, I NEED constructive criticism to get better. Basically any review you make can help. Please? :3


	5. Chapter 5

"Natsu..." Lucy trailed off.

_Wow... I had no idea he had this side to him..._ Lucy thought. _I mean, sure, I knew that he had feelings for me as a friend before, but him suddenly falling in love with me after one kiss? He may be an idiot, but he's pretty blunt about how he feels. I have a feeling that he's not even trying to be romantic, somehow. Just saying what's on his mind, whether he understands it or not. Damn, he is GOOD at this..._

_"_Luce, you know I don't understand this kind of shit. But the fact that even I can get hold of it should mean something, shouldn't it?!" Natsu said, starting to raise his voice.

"Natsu, just stop... you barely even understand what you're saying-" Lucy got cut off.

"Hell yeah I don't. You're right," Natsu agreed. "But what I do know is that ever since we pretended to date- that was the most fun I've ever had with you. It didn't feel weird at all, Luce. Not to me."

"Natsu, you do realize that we've been pretend-dating for less than a day, right?" Lucy facepalmed.

"Not important. What is important is that I don't know what the hell is happening, but I like it."

"Natsu, I don't understand either. But we can't just rush into this- and don't you dare try to shut me up by kissing me again."Lucy said indignantly.

"C'mon, Luce," Natsu grinned evilly, "You know you like it just as much as I do." He put his hand to her chin, and tilted her head to face him. "But seriously, what's the problem with us being more than friends?" He sat down on the window sill, cross-legged. Lucy pushed his hand away.

"Because it's-uh-er-" Lucy stammered.

"What?" Natsu said seriously, with a serious expression on his face.

"Uhm... I've never had a boyfriend before-"

"What," Natsu laughed, "That's all? Man, you got me all worried over nothing."

"Shut up, Natsu... It's because you're, well, _Natsu_." *flashback to season two, "Watch Out for the Guy You Like", where Natsu dances on the table*

"C'mon, lady. Don't insult me like that." Natsu grinned goofily. "If you don't want to talk to me about it yet, can you at least come back to the guild with me and Happy?"

"Fine," Lucy said. "But at least let me freshen u-" And with that, Natsu took her arm... and jumped out of the second story window.

"KYAAAAAHHH!" Lucy screamed, all the way down. Before she hit the ground, however, Natsu caught her in his arms, carrying her bridal style. "Kyaa! Natsu, put me down! Are you insane?! Use the door next time!

"But Luce, that would've taken twice as loooong," Natsu pouted. Lucy giggled, _He looks so cute when he pouts..._ She thought, smiling.

"Oooooh, they lllliiiiikeee each other!" Happy butted in, giggling.

"Oi, Happy! We're going back to the guild." Natsu called out to Happy.

"Aye sir!" Happy said his signature catchphrase. Natsu finally let go of Lucy and let her stand on her own, and started walking.

"Luigi, you coming?" Natsu asked.

"It's _LUCY_!" she corrected.

"Eh, tomatoe, tomahto." Natsu shrugged. Lucy started to trail after him.

"Slow down, Natsu! You don't have to run, we're already practically halfway there." Lucy said. Natsu backed up, waiting for Lucy to catch up. When she did, he took her hand in his and started walking slowly.

"Luce?" Natsu said.

"Yeah, Natsu?"

"How do you feel about me?" Natsu asked. "I mean, I poured my heart out, and I still don't know what you think..."

"N-Natsu... I think I... I..." Lucy stammered, not knowing what to say. _Shit, I don't know where to even begin..._ Lucy thought.

"You know what? Nevermind. I get it. You don't have to say anything. You don't feel the same way, do you?" Natsu said dejectedly.

"No, Natsu! That's not it," Lucy began, but was cut off by Natsu.

"Then what is it, Luce? All you've been doing is confusing me, today."

"Natsu, I _do_ have feelings for you."

"Then why won't you give me a chance, then?! All you've done today is reject me over and over again. I'm already extremely confused, Luce! You're not helping!"

"Natsu, please, let me finish!" Lucy took a deep breath. "I love you too, Natsu. I'm just, I don't know, confused, because we're supposed to be friends. I never imagined that _this_ would happen between us."

"Luce, we're not _supposed_ to be anything. I don't know about you, but I don't see any laws written down that say we can't be together. And see? You _do_ feel the same way. You just said that you love me too. What's gonna stop us, huh? Please, Luce... don't do this to me." Natsu begged, getting on his knees.

"Yeah, Lucy! Natsu's never been this weird and romantic before. You're like family, Lucy!" Happy piped up, eyes watering. "Please? I'll give you the biggest fish I have!"

"N-Natsu..." Lucy said, choking up.

"So, Luce, what's your answer? _Will you be my girlfriend?_" Natsu said, voice full of anticipation.

"Natsu, I... I think that... that I..."


	6. Chapter 6

"...I need some time to think about it, Natsu." Lucy stammered.

"Oh..." Natsu said, dishearteningly. Five seconds later, they were standing in front of the Guild's doors, facing each other. "So I guess you kinda want to explain the prank to everyone, huh..."

"Yeah, kinda... I'm sorry, Natsu."

"It's okay, heh, no big deal..." Natsu shrugged, chuckling halfheartedly. "Ya know, we might as well tell them..."

* * *

"What?!" Everyone in the guild went, at the same time.

"So it was a prank, huh?" Gray asked. "Figures. I knew that knucklehead was lying." He rolled his eyes, smiling. It was kinda creepy-looking. "As if _anyone_ would ever date Natsu." he said, jokingly. Gray and Natsu may have given each other hell from time to time, but that didn't mean they couldn't be companions, or friends, even. They leaned more closely to the "frenemy" side of the spectrum.

"Shut up, Gray..." Natsu grumbled, looking away.

"But why would you pull _that_ prank?" Erza asked, sitting next to Jellal. She was leaning backwards onto him, with his arms around her waist. He looked like he was in total bliss, considering the fact that he was with someone who very well could be the love of his life.

"Dunno, I thought it would be funny, I guess..." Natsu said, glancing at Lucy. He noticed she was blushing profusely, trying to avoid his gaze. Or anyone's gaze, for that matter. Natsu shrugged inwardly, _Man, women are so confusing,_ he thought. He awkwardly scratched behind his neck, not sure how to continue. I mean, he knew he loved Lucy as a friend before, but where he was now was the unexplored territory of his heart.

"So, Lucy, now we know the relationship was fake, but what about the kissing?" Mirajane giggled. Lucy was beet red at this point, panicking.

Suddenly, Levy burst through the door. "Lu-chan!"

"Levy?" Lucy said. "I thought you went home with Gajeel?" She asked, puzzled.

"I'm sorry, Lu-chan, but I went by your house on my way back to the Guild, and I think I heard something I wasn't supposed to." Levy said, gasping for breath.

"Psst! Don't tell everyone! Come closer and whisper to me what you heard." Lucy said, panicking. _Oh God, exactly how much did she hear?! _Levy went over to Lucy, and whispered,

"I know what happened between you and Natsu. I heard him telling you how he felt, then I heard you say that you love him, and then I saw him kiss you to make you shut up-"

"Levy! You're talking too loudly, nobody can know about this!" Sadly, she hadn't noticed that Wendy was in the room, and she hadn't remembered that both Wendy and Natsu have near-perfect hearing.

"Lucy, is it true?" Wendy pipped up.

"Is what true?" Erza asked, from Jellal's arms.

"Lucy told Natsu she loves him!" Levy yelled, for the whole guild to hear. "And he loves her back! The prank brought them together!" Lucy's face turned a deathly white, then beet red, then white again as she shifted between embarrassment and despair.

"No! Levy, what the hell are you doing?!" Lucy screamed, while the rest of the guild exploded.

"Ah, I knew it!" Erza said. "I knew from the moment they kissed that there was something between them!" Erza gave a hearty laugh. "You don't kiss like that if you're not in love."

"KYAAAAAAAAAA!" Lucy shrieked. "No, no, no, no!" she groaned.

"Hey Lucy, is that a hickey on your neck I see?" Cana chuckled evilly.

"What hickey?" Lucy asked, rubbing her neck. "Oh. Oh no. It's not what it looks like! I must've gotten a bruise somehow when Natsu carried me out the window or something! I swear!"

"Yeah right, Lucy, whatever you say..." Cana laughed uncontrollably.

"Agh, what is wrong with you people?!" Lucy screamed, clenching her fists, and stomping her foot. "I'm not dating Natsu. Period! Tell them, Natsu! ...Natsu?" Natsu was dead silent. "Natsu, are you alright?"

Natsu's teeth were clenched, his fists were balled, and his aura started to flame. "Nope... not dating... Happy now, Luce?" A growl started deep within his throat.

"...Natsu, are you okay, man?" Gray said, voice full of concern. "Seriously. The last time I saw you like this, it was when Lisan- Oh. Well, shit." The inky-haired ice mage could just barely make out a tear forming in Natsu's eye.

"Lisanna..."

* * *

_Flashback: _

"Natsu, when we grow up, can I be your wife?" A girl with short, snow white hair asked.

"Ew, no! Lisanna, stop asking that! I don't ever wanna get married, no way!" the pink-haired boy responded. The girl just giggled in response.

"But I'm your wife, Natsu! We raised this egg together, remember?" The girl replied. "Come on, think of Happy!" She giggled, smiling. A tiny blue kitten rested on the boy's shoulder, napping.

"Um... er... well if it's for Happy, then I'll think about it... but no promises, Lisanna..." the boy trailed off, pouting.

"Aw, don't be like that, Natsu! I'll be your wife no matter what! We'll be together forever!" The girl said, with the biggest smile to have ever been smiled that day. It was a beautiful, innocent smile, untarnished by the weight of the world.

"We'll see about that..." little Natsu grumbled.

_ ~X~_

_Years Later:_

A 15 year old young man with pink hair stands alone at a grave, a bundle of lilacs in his hands. Tears are running down his face. The ceremony had finished hours ago, and he alone remained. _She always loved lilacs._.. he thought. Her voice echoed in his head.

_"We'll be together forever! Come on, Natsu! You know I'm never gonna stop asking!"_ Her soft, lilting words echoed around his grief-stricken mind. He began to choke on his own tears, sobbing.

"Lisanna! Damn you! You said that you'd always be there for me, that you'd never stop trying to win me over! And just when I love you back, you leave me! God, you selfish bastard! How dare you take her away from me!" The young man gasped for breath, pounding his fists against her gravestone, as if he was knocking on death's door to pull her in from the other side. "Just when it's too late, I realize how stupid I was for letting her go..." He collapsed onto his knees, and leaned his head against the cold, hard gravestone.

"Lisanna..." He choked out, "Lisanna... You can be my wife! I don't care! I just want you back..." He sobbed. A small blue cat was by his side at this point, bawling and crying just the same. Other people from the funeral watched from a distance. An inky-haired individual reached out with his arm, as if to call out to him, but decided against it.

"GYAHHHHHHHHHH!" The rose-haired man roared, a pillar of flames flying into the sky from his mouth. His fists burst into flames, and he started to take his rage out on a nearby tree.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: Well, looks like Lucy unearthed something really bad for Natsu! History repeats itself, except this time, the tables are turned! I'm taking any suggestions and critisism, so review away!


	7. Chapter 7

"Natsu! Natsu, what's wrong?!" Lucy gasped. She was obviously distressed about the fact that Natsu had tears streaming down his face.

"I... It... It's just like... what happened... with... with..."

"Come on, be a man! Spit it out, like a true man!" Elfman said, worried. "With what?!"

"with... Lisanna..." Natsu coughed out, choking on his tears. "So this is how Lisanna must've felt... when I... when she... was alive..." he choked out, gasping for breath. He became woozy, and collapsed into the nearest chair he could find. Sadly, already sitting on that chair was Gray, who had mysteriously lost his pants and his underwear in the past few minutes.

"Dude, what the fuck?!" Gray screamed. "I know you're upset, but I'm not the guy to go to if you want a lapdance!"

"GAHHH!" Natsu screamed, leaping off of Gray's lap.

"Well that seemed to calm him down, for now..." Cana said, relieved.

"What the hell, man?! What are you sitting there fully exposed for?!" Natsu yelled. "Man, I did _not_ need to feel your yahoo against my ass!"

"Mirajane, what's he talking about?" Lucy inquired, more than curious.

"Well Lucy, I think that by 'yahoo' Natsu meant-"

"No, the one before that." Lucy cut her off, to avoid anything embarrassing.

"Oh... No one told you..." Mirajane frowned. "Ah, well, I guess now isn't the best time to explain."

"Lucy, look what you did!" Happy exclaimed. "You reminded Natsu of his ex-wife, Lisanna!"

"Ex-wife?!" Lucy yelled, surprised. "Er, I mean... why? How?"

And so, Mirajane pulled her away to a quiet spot and told her of Lisanna's death. "A long time ago, I had a little sister..."

* * *

"Wow." Wow was the only thing Lucy could say about how Natsu's first love ended in heartache. "Just... wow."

"Yeah..." Mirajane said. "She never stopped believing, until the day she disappeared."

"Disappeared? I thought you said she died?" Lucy asked nervously. _Damn, that's why Natsu got all emotional... Oh my god, now I know why he got all romantic and tried so hard to win me over! He's probably afraid to lose me somehow, too!_

"That's because her body was never found. And yeah, that's pretty much it. Ever since then, Natsu completely shut down that part of him. And maybe the reason he wants things to go fast is that he's worried that it'll be too late if he waits, just like what happened with Lisanna."

"Wow, am I that easy to read?" Lucy frowned, contemplating.

"Pretty much." Mirajane said. "So please, take it easy on Natsu. You're really important to him, you know. He never even looked at any other girl twice, after we lost Lisanna. He never had feelings for anyone else, until you came along. I mean, he loved everyone here like family, but nothing more. He probably thought the same about you until you kissed."

"Okay, his love turned romantic as soon as we kissed? That seems a little far-fetch'd..." Lucy said skeptically.

"That's Natsu, for you. As you may have already found out, Natsu can be pretty impulsive. He goes with what feels right. Apparently, what felt right for him was being with you. More specifically, kissing you."

"Oh my god, Mira. I don't know how to handle this anymore! I mean, I love Natsu, but what if all it is is just an impulse? What if that's all it is? You said yourself he has problems with impulse control. What if it doesn't last? What if he isn't completely over your sister?"

Happy suddenly popped up over Mirajane's shoulder, revealing the fact that he had been listening the entire time. "Lucy, please give Natsu a chance... If it helps, Lisanna only helped Natsu hatch me from an egg, they never really got married."

"Thanks for trying to help, Happy," Lucy said, "But that's not what I'm worried about."

"Please give him a chance, Lucy!" Happy said, tears forming in his eyes. "I know it seems like it's all moving too fast, but Natsu's probably just worried that he'll lose you the way he lost Lisanna... He's not being impulsive, he's being protective!"

Lucy held her head in her hands, not processing everything she was hearing. _Oh god, I thought he was a moron, but it turns out that this happened to him before! Now what am I going to do?! I unleashed a totally different Natsu than the one I know!_

_"_Crap, Mirajane! What do I do?! I've turned him into an emotional mess! Even I'm not this bad on my period." Lucy groaned.

"That's simple. Just give him a chance! That's all he wants. The only reason he seems desperate is because he's afraid of losing you like he did my sister." Mirajane nodded, bobbing her head.

"Mira, you've gotta help me! I've never been on a date before, much less had a boyfriend!" Lucy panicked, hyperventilating.

"Sis, you've gotta slow the fuck down and think." Mirajane said. "You have to at least give him one date. Then, you take it from there and decide if you want to continue."

"Oh... Okay, then. I guess I can handle one date, then." Lucy sighed.

"Hooray!" Happy yelled, thrusting his fist into the air. "Natsu's gonna be so happy! Thank you, Lucy! It'll be like you're my stepmother!"

"Hah, yeah Happy. I'm not sure about that last part though. I mean, what if I screw up?" Lucy said with unease.

"Come on, Lucy! This is _Natsu_ we're talking about. That boneheaded idiot can handle anything." Mira giggled.

"Thanks for the inspiration, Mira." Lucy chuckled. "Now, is Natsu still out there?"

Mirajane looked out the kitchen window, into the guild. "Yeah, he and Gray are fighting still. I think it's over the accidental nude lapdance." Mirajane said, chuckling.

"Okay then... this is it. I'm going to ask him out on a date." Lucy said, after a lot of thought. _Well, maybe this is a good thing!_ Lucy thought. *flashback to season two, Watch out for the Guy You Like, table dancing-scene* _Or not... Man, this is gonna be one hell of a ride... and w__hy does that flashback keep coming back to haunt me?!_

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Anyone else like the lapdance? I know I did! jk. But still- five points to anyone who saw the Pokemon reference!


	8. Chapter 8

Lucy gingerly opened the kitchen door, and tiptoed up behind Natsu, blushing. _Oh man, I really hope I don't screw this up..._ she thought. "Uh, Natsu?"

"Don't you dare give me those baby-doll eyes, glacier-ass!" Natsu yelled at Gray loudly, throwing a flaming fist at his face. "Flaming uppercut of the Fire Dragon!"

"What the hell are you talking about, flaming freak?! I ain't giving you any baby-doll eyes!" Gray yelled equally as loudly, shooting icicles at Natsu's chest. "Icicle Barrage!"

"Uh... Natsu?" Lucy stepped forward towards Natsu tentatively, reaching out. "Natsu... Natsu!" Lucy tapped his shoulder repeatedly.

Natsu swung around, narrowly missing Gray's icy fist. Gray missed, lost his balance, and fell forward onto his face. "Shit!" he yelled as he went down. A small, restrained gasp of pain was heard as he fell onto his "yahoo". "Crap..." he groaned, clutching his crotch, writhing in pain. "How did that even happen?!"

"Oh, hey Luce. What's up?" Natsu said, completely ignoring his would-be opponent.

"Hey dick-face! Eyes on your opponent, bastard!" Gray hollered, still writhing on the ground. "Ah, shit..."

"Quiet, asshole. I'm trying to talk to Luigi over here!" Natsu replied back, pokerfaced.

"It's LUCY!" Lucy fumed.

"Right, right. So... any chance you'll change you mind?" Natsu asked, head tilted. His rose-pink hair was ruffled and messy from the fight, which was kind of adorable. His tears had stopped, and he was back to the regular ol' Natsu that Lucy had come to know and love.

"Change my mind about what?" Lucy deadpanned, somehow failing to grasp just what her friend was talking about.

"You know, about... us." Natsu said, seriousness painted all over his face. His eyebrows were slightly scrunched together in thought.

"Oh, uhm... about that..." Lucy trailed off shyly, twirling her hair with her fingers.

"Yeah?" Natsu said with anticipation. Lucy's heart was pounding hard in her chest, faster than a rabbit's. She could feel the blood rushing to her face, making her blush even harder than ever before.

"Well... I was wondering... if you'd maybe like to go out next Saturday?" Lucy blushed furiously, barely able to force the sentence out.

"Go out? Like, outside? Can't we do that right now?" Natsu asked, not quite getting what Lucy was getting at. Though he is blunt and well aware of his own feelings, he sure could be ignorant when you get down to the basics.

"She's asking you out on a date, moron." Gray said, finally up on his feet. However, he was still completely naked, with Juvia staring from afar, like a hawk. A perverted, love-struck hawk, but a hawk nonetheless.

Natsu went pokerfaced, not reacting for several minutes. Lucy stood awkwardly, with the whole guild watching them. Lucy began to shake with nervousness, worried about how Natsu wasn't responding, and more worried about what Natsu would say if he ever did react. Time seemed to stand still, with Natsu looking into Lucy's eyes, and Lucy's eyes flickering away, afraid of making contact. "Uh, Natsu?" Lucy said.

Eventually, Natsu came to, and smiled. "Did you even have to ask?" Natsu chuckled wholeheartedly. "Come on, Luce, you know I've been waiting forever for this!" he smiled his goofiest smile, never looking away from Lucy's gaze. He put his arm around Lucy's shoulder, and hugged her close, while she put her hands against his solid chest.

"Don't be silly, Natsu!" Lucy giggled. "It's only been a day."

"Well, Luce Heartfilia, you gave me forever in one day. That means I've loved you forever." Natsu chuckled. Lucy blushed in response, not knowing what to say.

"Stop it, Natsu! You're making me blush..." Lucy said, leaning into his sturdy frame. "I'm just glad that I ever met you..."

"Well, you did, and there's no changing that." Natsu ran his fingers through Lucy's golden hair, sighing in content.

Suddenly, the guild hall was filled with the cheers of their guildmates, wooping and hollering in celebration of their new relationship. Even Erza and Jellal took part, applauding.

"I'm so lucky I have you, Erza." Jellal said, with a huge smile on his face.

"I know." Erza replied with an even bigger smile. "I have a feeling that those two will last for quite some time."

"Me too," Jellal replied, "This was bound to happen for quite a while."

* * *

LUCY POV

My heart fluttered in my chest as I walked back to my apartment with Natsu. I've gotta admit that I'm still a bit nervous that things would get weird since we started out as friends, but I take comfort in the fact that Natsu is a pretty decent guy, all things considered. I mean, yeah, he's kinda clueless sometimes when it comes to romance and dating and all of that kind of stuff, but I find it kind of adorable when he gets confused. He's also one of the manliest guys I know, in spite of the fact that he has pink hair. I'm just thinking of how I've found a really great guy, while holding onto his arm and leaning my head onto his shoulder as we walk.

_Ah, this is pure bliss,_ I think. even as we're walking, I feel pretty comfortable with Natsu's arm around my shoulder. It feels rather warm, probably because he's a fire mage, but I like it. It makes me feel safe and cozy. Now that I think of it, Natsu's presence almost always makes me feel that way. Even when he's beating the crap outta bad guys, or Gray. Man, I cannot believe how many times Natsu accidentally gave Gray an accidental lapdance. Strangely enough, I feel a little jealous. Not of the fact that Natsu's ass made contact with Gray's no-no area, though. I'm fine with that not happening to me. I can live without that.

I gaze into Natsu's eyes, and he stares right back with that goofy, aloof smile of his. I can't find any other words that fit- goofy. Goofy, goofy, goofy, goofy. I love it. I love him. Even though he sneezes lava capable of downing an entire wall, repeatedly. That includes at the guild, and more recently, the east wall of my apartment. I love Natsu, but as destructive as he is, I also like having an un-destroyed apartment. Oh well. I'm sure I'll be able to find some middle ground someday. _Someday...__  
_

As we walk down the pavement I can hear the birds singing their songs, and our footsteps echoing into the air. I tend to treasure these moments forever, since you never know when they'll disappear. Every moment, no matter how little, is worth more than gold when I'm with Natsu. I tend to get sucked up in their pace, and that excites me. New places and new faces have filled my life ever since I partnered up with Natsu. Life is good. Great, actually.

Now we're holding hands, and Natsu has begun to walk faster. "Hey Luce, we're almost at your place!" Natsu yells. I don't know why he yells so much, since we're right next to each other. He's tugging at my arm now, indicating that I should go faster, too. And I will. And I do. I'd do anything for him, and heaven knows he's more than done the same for me.

* * *

"Hey Natsu..."

"Yeah?"

"I love you..."

"I love you too, Luigi."

"Seriously?!"

"Haha!"

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: Can you guys tell me which is better: me writing in third person or first person, because I have no idea which one I should do.


	9. Chapter 9

"Oi, Happy!" Natsu yelled. He yells a lot, now that I think of it. He's one of the loudest people I know. "We're finally at Luce's place!"

"Hurray!" Happy said excitedly. "So Natsu... what're you gonna do as your first act as a couple?" Happy giggled gleefully.

"I dunno... I actually didn't think I'd get this far." Natsu shrugged, yawning. "Man, am I tired. That was a long walk from the guild to here..."

"Wait- after all that begging, you didn't actually plan that far ahead?" I asked, puzzled. "And come _on_ Natsu. I live like, two blocks away from the guild! We've had missions hundreds of times further than that, and you were more than capable of handling them!" I say, exasperated. _Well, that's Natsu for ya,_ I think. For a powerful mage such as himself, he's rather lazy when you get down to it, when we're not doing anything overly important.

"Yeah, so?" Natsu shrugged again, then smiled. "You know what I was thinking?" he asked.

"No, what?" I reply, not knowing what to expect. Natsu smirks, and leans closer, whispering seductively into my ear. "I was thinking... that we could get into bed..." He smiled deviously, obviously excited about what was to come next..

"Uhm. Get into bed... and?" I say awkwardly, not sure if I was liking the way things were going. _Oh no. Nnope. Nope. Nope. Not ready for that, if he's thinking what I think he's thinking..._

"...and take a mother f*cking nap. I wasn't kidding when I said I was tired, Luce. Seriously. I feel like I've been on a moving train or something." He yawned, stretching his arms. I sigh with relief. I mean, I love the guy more than a brother, but I'm not nearly prepared enough to enter that phase of the relationship.

"Oh. Yeah, now that I think about it, I'm pretty tired, too." I said, and I'm not lying. Today's events have left me plumb tuckered out, rigorous as they were. "Wait, just let me change into my pajamas first, it's already nighttime and the sun's gone down."

"Okay. So, then, does that mean that I can stay the night?" Natsu inquires.

"Oh... uh, sure." I answer. Natsu usually crashes at my place all the time anyway, with or without my permission, so why not?

"Natsu, I'm going home to give you some alone time with Lucy," Happy piped up.

"Sure, Happy. Don't wait up for me!" Natsu called out as Happy left through the window. Natsu turns to me, and says, "So, aren't you gonna change or something?" he asks, and I blush in return.

"I can't change with you looking, Natsu!" I squeal. Even though I sometimes use my good looks to haggle with shopkeepers, I'm still pretty self conscious when it comes to undressing.

"Why not? I've walked in on you bathing hundreds of times. I know what you look like already," Natsu said, confused at my modesty. Apparently, he has no trouble with seeing people naked, either not noticing or not paying attention. Or, most likely, not caring. I shudder at the fact that Natsu had apparently already seen my naked body, but there's not much I can do about it now. _That cheeky bastard said he didn't see anything!_ I fumed inwardly.

"Natsu, can you please just turn around so that I can change?" I ask, blushing profusely. I have every intention of keeping this relationship a chaste one.

"Fine." Natsu relented, turning away as I put my pink pajamas on. The top is a button-down shirt, the bottoms are regular pink flannel pants. I change in under a minute, and then am ready to sleep.

"Natsu, you can look now. I'm fully dressed." I say, finally.

"Finally, we can sleep." Natsu smiled, stretching his muscles and jumping into my bed. I crawl in after him, thankful that my bed is large enough to hold both of us. Pretty soon, we're lying side by side, with my back digging into his chest. I feel safe and warm in his arms. I start to trace the lines on the palm of his hand absentmindedly. His arms are protectively wrapped around me, and I blush deeply as he puts his leg up onto mine. My heart is beating faster than a rabbit's, and I have no clue how to deal with it. So, in the end, I just end up curled into Natsu's form and close my eyes, trying to sleep.

"Hey Luce..."

"Yeah, Natsu?"

"Why the fuck do you always smell like strawberries? I like it."

I sigh. "I don't know, it might be my conditioner."

"Oh... what's conditioner?"

"Good _night_, Natsu."

"G'night, Luce." His grip on me tightens, then he begins to snore.

One thing I have come to realize after working with Natsu for so long is that he is a fucking _furnace_. I mean, I don't even have to use a blanket with Natsu lying down with me. It's kinda weird, because I never expected him to be that hot _all the time_, not just when using magic. I also didn't know that he snored. All the other times he crashed at my place, he never snored. Well, now that I think of it, he snored every other time.

Luckily, after a few minutes, his snoring stopped, and the room was silent. However, I began to sweat due to the intense heat of being under a blanket with Natsu. So, I carefully threw the blanket off, and thankfully Natsu didn't seem to mind at all. I wiped the sweat off of my brow with my sleeve, and curled into Natsu's bare chest. I wonder why he only wears a vest with nothing underneath it, but it's his decision, not mine. I sigh, and start to drift off. The last thing I remember before falling asleep is Natsu's arms around my waist, warming my very core.


	10. Chapter 10

Asleep, I roll over onto my side. I then reach my arm out to hold my partner, but my fingers end up grasping nothing but empty air. Confused, I blearily crack my eyes open to look for my missing boyfriend. I groan in exasperation, wondering where he could be. _Damn him, where did he go?_ I think. I get up and check the bathroom, then the kitchen, then under my mattress (until I realize that he's too muscular to fit under there), and then, in desperation, under my pillow. It's no use. Natsu isn't anywhere near my apartment. I even checked the window sill for clues, and yet I found nothing to clue me in on where Natsu went. Not one note was left behind. "Where the hell could he have gone?!" I wonder out loud. "Leaving without a trace? That's not the Natsu I know. I usually have to force him out of here, he never leaves on his own accord..."_  
_

I hurry to the Guild to see if he is there, after changing into my regular outfit. As I was jogging there, I notice Levy standing in front of the door, waiting for me. "Lu-chan! Good morning! Glad to see you're finally back. So, how'd it go with Natsu?" Levy said, giggling.

"Nothing much happened, we just napped together until he disappeared somewhere sometime last night. Do you know where he is? He kinda left without explaining where he was going and why." I say. "Other than that, it was pretty nice."

"Sorry, Lu-chan. I have no idea where he could be, he hasn't been here yet, and it's already nine o'clock." Levy said. "Why do you need him, anyway?"

"Nothing, I just find it kinda weird that he left without a trace. Especially so early in the morning, he usually sleeps in till around noon-ish." I reply, a creeping feeling clawing its way down my throat. I have no idea what it is, or why, but I know that I want-no, need- to find him as soon as possible. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm not taking my chances. Last time this happened, we had the Char-broiled Incident of 07, and that absolutely cannot happen again. Too many houses got burned down. "Thanks anyway, Levy."

"No problem, Lu-chan. Let me know if anything turns up." Levy said casually, smiling. "Do you want to come inside?"

"Not now, Levy. I think I'm going to check out a few places and see if I can't figure out where he is."

"Okay, Lu-chan. Whatever you say," Levy says, trying to hold in a fit of giggles.

_Okay, well she's acting weird. I wonder if she knows anything, _I think to myself. _Nah, I'm hoping I can trust her to tell the truth. She is my friend, after all._

"Bye Lu-chan!" She calls out as I walk away. After a few minutes, I decide to check out my room for one last time before taking off.

As I walk towards my apartment, I can see a dark figure leaping from the ground into my second story window, which is near my bed. He leaps inside and disappears. "Oh crap..." I say to myself out loud. "Who is he and what is he doing on my property?!" I yell, getting my whip ready, just in case there's a physical altercation. _This is gonna be good_.

I rush up the stairs, while trying to stay silent. I kick open my door, hollering, and lash my whip out at the first thing I see.

"OWWW, WHAT THE FUCK?" The shadowy stranger screamed.

"Wait... what the-? NATSU?! What the hell do you think you're doing?! You looked like a robber, and why the hell do you always come in through the window?" I ask, shaking my head in disappointment. I should've known it was him. It's _always him_. Both him and Happy.

At that moment, Happy flew in through the window. "Natsu, are you okay?" he asked Natsu.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Happy. It'll take more than a piece of rope to hurt me." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, where I hit him. "Damn, Lucy, you hit really hard..."

"Serves you right for breaking into my house..." I mumble quietly to myself, knowing Natsu would hear me.

"Breaking in? Come on, I'm you're boyfriend! Plus, I practically live here. What's the problem?" Natsu said, tilting his head in confusion. "Plus, you gave me a key to the place the other day."

"It was you who took my spare key?! I kept that underneath my doormat 24/7!" I fume, continuing, "And my _problem_ is that you took off without telling me where you were going and why. I was worried sick about you! What was I supposed to think with you gone at 8 AM when you never wake up until noon?"

"Calm down, Luce. I was getting ready for our date today. It's Saturday, remember?" Natsu explained patiently. "And even if I was in danger, you know I'm one of the strongest wizards in Fairy Tail. Also, I rescue you on a regular basis. You know you can trust me with anything, Luce. I've saved your ass enough times to prove that, haven't I?"

"Oh..." I reply, frowning inwardly. I had completely forgotten our date, and it was me who asked him out! _I'm such an idiot sometimes_, I think to myself. I even forgot that Saturday was today. "Yeah, you have saved my butt a lot in the time that we've known each other, I guess. But _please_ warn me next time, I wouldn't know what to do if you got hurt..." I trailed off, a single tear forming in my eye. Natsu's face became serious, and he grabbed me by the shoulders, staring directly into my eyes.

"Luce. The day I leave you is the day I die, and I will do _anything_ to keep that from happening. Not just because I enjoy living, but also because you need me, just as much as I need you." His words were heartfelt, and rang with truth. Somehow, I knew he was right, and that it would all be okay from here on out.


End file.
